Musk says he was behind Starlink speed restriction in Ukraine

Key Points:

• Elon Musk confirmed that SpaceX throttled the Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine after discovering the Ukrainian military used it for offensive drone strikes, violating the company's terms of service.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Starlink and Starshield satellite speeds have been restored to pre-restriction levels, improving front-line operations and defense against Russian drone attacks.
• Musk stated that while SpaceX controlled Starlink, the U.S. government managed changes to Starshield, the military-grade system critical to Ukraine’s drone operations, and defended SpaceX’s role in supporting Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
• The throttling episode heightened tensions between Kyiv and Washington amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war, with conflicting statements from U.S. officials about government involvement in the Starlink restrictions.
• Meanwhile, ongoing conflict saw missile attacks in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region causing casualties, Ukrainian strikes on Russian industrial targets including a chemical plant in Tolyatti and an electronics plant in Oryol, and drone attacks reaching deep into Russia’s Omsk region.